Children amongst 31 killed at church truthful stampede in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria -- A stampede Saturday at a church charity event in southern Nigeria left 31 individuals useless and seven injured, police told The Related Press, a stunning development at a program that aimed to supply hope to the needy. One witness mentioned the useless included a pregnant woman and lots of youngsters.

The stampede at the occasion organized by the Kings Assembly Pentecostal church in Rivers state involved people who came to the church’s annual “Shop for Free” charity program, in response to Grace Iringe-Koko, a police spokeswoman.

Such occasions are frequent in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economic system, the place more than 80 million people dwell in poverty, in line with authorities statistics.

Saturday’s charity program was supposed to begin at 9 a.m. but dozens arrived as early as 5 a.m. to safe their place in line, Iringe-Koko stated. By some means the locked gate was broken open, creating a stampede, she mentioned.

Godwin Tepikor from Nigeria’s Nationwide Emergency Administration Agency stated first responders had been in a position to evacuate the bodies of those trampled to loss of life and convey them to the morgue. Security forces cordoned off the area.

Dozens of residents later thronged the scene, mourning the useless and offering any help they could to emergency workers. Medical doctors and emergency staff handled among the injured as they lay in the open field. Videos from the scene showed the clothing, footwear and other objects meant for the beneficiaries.

One witness who only identified himself as Daniel stated "there have been so many children” among the useless. Five of the dead children have been from one mom, he told the AP, adding that a pregnant girl also lost her life.

Some church members had been attacked and injured by family members of the victims after the stampede, in accordance with witness Christopher Eze. The church declined to touch upon the situation.

The police spokeswoman said the seven injured were “responding to remedy."

The “Store for Free” occasion was suspended whereas authorities investigated how the stampede occurred.

Nigeria has seen similar stampedes prior to now.

Twenty-four people died at an overcrowded church gathering within the southeastern state of Anambra in 2013, whereas at the least 16 folks were killed in 2014 when a crowd acquired out of control during a screening for presidency jobs in the nation's capital, Abuja.

—

Associated Press journalist Hilary Uguru in Warri, Nigeria, contributed.